IRISH TERRIER PET GROOMING IN TUCSON - A Makeover

Makeover grooming, where there is a distinct transformational element, is a major source of satisfaction for professional groomers.   This Irish Terrier groom was a great example of what fuels my passion for grooming.

"Rory", was rescued as a stray in Tucson, AZ.  The vet who examined him after adoption identified him as an "Airedale mix", but the new owner thought otherwise.  She recognized that he might be an Irish Terrier.  She researched the breed and learned that this terrier is usually hand stripped.  There's a reason for that.  The Irish Terrier has a distinct red-brown color.  Much of that color is lost when the coat is clipped or scissored, and it turns to a lighter, straw-like color.  We can see that color on Rory's beard and front.  The hair needs to be plucked so that a fresh new hair will grow.  Handstripping maintains the richness of color that is a hallmark of this breed.

There's another point to be made here: vets are not always the best experts in breed identification.  They are trained in medical matters, not so much in breed profiles, coat type, and the details that distinguish the various breeds.  This is even more true for employees and volunteers at community animal shelters.  Professional groomers are more likely to have been trained in breed identification.  Accurate identification of breed profiles is a important part of the testing protocol for master groomer certification.

When Rory entered our salon, I immediately recognized him to be an Irish.  There was the coat, the length of furnishings, the body structure, the length of face, the expression - it was all there.  All we had to do was bring that out through our grooming.   

"Rory", before grooming.

After grooming, the breed profile is revealed.

        Irish Terrier head with ideal ear set.

Although the grooming was time-consuming, it was not difficult. The dog was so well-behaved that I suspect Rory has some history on the grooming table.  Not only is he clearly an Irish Terrier, he appears to be well-bred.  The only thing that is a little "off" the Irish Terrier standard as we see it at the dog shows is the ear set.  This is often attained by careful gluing of the ears of the puppy in order to train the ears to the proper carriage.  The fact that Rory's ears were not "trained" is a good indication that he was not a show dog in his previous life.  That does not, however, make him a lesser dog.  

Each of these hairs was removed by hand.

The Grooming: My assistant, Yvonne, began the process by thoroughly raking the coat.  She then plucked as much of the jacket as she could.  Yvonne prefers to use her fingers and a latex glove; I follow, using stripping knives or stones to complete the body work.  After Yvonne bathes and dries the dog, I finish with the head work and the detailing, what Yvonne refers to as "my magic".  It's great to have an assistant who admires your talent!     

The head us done using a combination of stripping, clipping the sides of face and throat, and thinning scissor work.  Detailing includes clipping pads of feet and sanitary (private parts and under the tail),  and tidying up what I call the "seams".  That's my name for the places where hair growth of different directions comes together - down the sides of the neck, the front, and the back of the rear legs. 

Rory knows he's handsome!

Critique of the grooming: Taking pictures of my work is a double-edged sword.  On one hand it allows me to share my passion for grooming with an audience; on the other hand, pictures often reveal imperfections in even a great result.  Taken on a positive note, pictures show me what I might do differently next time.  What I see here is that I could have taken more hair off the beard on the lower jaw, and I wish I had taken the front down more, to be shorter on the fore chest. 

One of the challenges of pet grooming is that your result is often dictated by the amount of time available.  Time management rules!  Hand stripping of a dog this size could easily consume the better part of a whole day in order to reach a "most perfect" result.  The reality of pet grooming requires the groomer to reach a point of declaring "good enough", and move on to the next client.  Pardon my pride, but in this case I   

think that "good enough" was quite good.  The owner was thrilled!  Our grooming disclosed Rory's true character!

Barbara Bird is an International Certified Master Groomer (ICMG) and owner of Transformation Pet Center in Tucson, Arizona.   Terriers are a specialty, as are scissored breeds, fluffy trims, custom styling, all done with an extra dose of patience and empathy.  By appointment only: 520-795-5743